Vehicle wheel



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8. L, SMITH VEHICLE WHEEL Filed April 28 1919 ATTORNEYS.

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Application filed a? as, 1919. Serial 330.99%180.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1. Burma LYMAN Sierra, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Syracuse, in the county of ()nonda-ga and- State cit New York, have invented a certain new and useful Vehicle Wheel, of which the following is a specification.

This in ent-ion relates to vehicle Wheels provided with pneumatic tires and has for its'ohject a particularly simple and efiicient rim construction by which the tires and dcmounta-ble rims, especially heavy tires and rims are readily placed on the felloe without undue lifting to insert the valve stem through the hole in the felloe.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the ac! oi'npanying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a wheel embodying my invention.

f l Figure 2- 1s an enlarged fragmentaiy cross sectional View. 1 Figure 3 is a fragmentary rim; and 1 Figure is a plan view of the closure snown in Figure 3.

l designates the felloe of a wheel which is here shown as hollow cast metal having integral hollow spokes 2. 1 r The wheel is here shown as provided with a demoun'table rim 3 held in position in any The rim may be of any suitable construct-ion.

a is the valve stem of a pneumatic tire on the rim 3. The rim is'formed with a passage ore transverse slot 5 ening through its peripheral and inner aces and also il'irough one of the lateral sides of the rim, the slot extending but part way across the view of the felloe. In hollow cast wheels, the slot is formed during the castin of the wheel and is bounded by walls or we 6.

7 is a filler or closure for the slot'5, this closure having means for engaging the valve stem 4 extendin through the inner end of the slot 5. Sai means isa'here illustrated as a fiat ring or Washer 8 encircling the stem and overlying the inner face of the rim.

In operation, in placing a tire on or oi? the wheel the tire is moved laterally and carries the valve stem through the slot 5, the,closurc moving with the stem into or out of the slot.

'lhiswheel construction is particularly advantageous as heavy tires can he readily mounted on and removed from the wheel without liftingthe valve stem to clear the rim and without manipulation to guide the stem into a small hole.

What I claim is:

A vehicle wheel having means for su porting a pneumatic tire, the rim of t 0 wheel being formed with a transverse slot for receiving the valve stem of the tire,.the

, slot extending partly through the rim from one side thereof and opening through the inner and peripheral faces of the rim, and a closure for the slot comprising a block for filling -01- suhstantially fitting the slot, the block being provided with a washer encircling BURNS LYMAN SMITH.

the valve stem, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 

